Ebola resurfaces in rebel-controlled North Kivu after outbreak was declared over

A 21-year-old man arriving from the government-held city of Butembo was identified as a suspected Ebola case at a health checkpoint in the Kayna health zone of North Kivu, an area under AFC/M23 control. Laboratory tests confirmed the infection the following day, marking the first case recorded since the rebels declared their territory Ebola-free in late June after a 21-day lull. The Rwanda-backed AFC/M23, which seized large parts of North and South Kivu last year, said health authorities are now tracing contacts and intensifying surveillance to curb spread.

Rebel-held areas had recorded only four Ebola cases since the outbreak began in mid-May. The incident challenges the rebels’ claim that their handling of the outbreak demonstrates effective governance. Rwanda denies backing the rebels.